A simple misconception
by Hysteria and Chaos
Summary: Nature vs. Nurture? In a completely different environment, will Harry grow up just the same? Will the choices he makes change the outcome of the war? And what about when an Ancient Faery race needs his help too? More Powerful!Harry.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **Clearly nothing but a few characters (Xavier…etc) is mine. If it were mine…a lot of things would have been done differently. Like I reckon it's great what J.K has done…but if it were mine…and I had a longer attention span, I'd do it a little differently.

**A/N: **I sure as hell don't know where this story is going to go. I suddenly had a violent urge to write fan fiction. Look I have no idea, just bear with me here and give me LOTS of encouragement! Oh and ps. I thought I'd let you know that Xavier means saviour, and Darnell means Hidden. I'll let you ponder this as I actually write the prologue now. 

**Prologue**

The wind blew heavily, creating a loud whistling noise, as it blew through the remnants of what was once a large, stately manor, a place filled with vibrance and happiness. At the moment, the ruins were wreathed in gloom and menacing clouds covered the once clear skies. By far the most shocking aspect of this gloomy picture however, was the large skull and snake apparition, some 50m above the house. Slightly to the left of this depressing scene, a flash of golden light appeared, and a figure was seen, silhouetted against the wild night.

Xavier Darnell had to hold back a shiver of apprehension as he looked around him. The place was completely destroyed. He doubted if anything could have survived the wreckage, but they had assured him that someone had. At the time, he'd believed them, but looking around him now, he found it very difficult to believe that a one year old had managed to survive the obvious slaughter that had occurred here. Oh well, there was only one way to find out. Xavier started towards the ruined building.

Xavier didn't know why he bothered to find the front door; he could have gotten in at pretty much any point along what was once a wall. He supposed it was because he couldn't bring himself to accept the utter destruction and demolition of what was once such a beautiful, happy house. Finding the front door was his way of denying what had happened. The wind seemed to whistle in encouragement as he finally discovered what was left of the door, splintered remains of wood under what looked like a large, bronze hat stand. Gingerly stepping over the top of it, he entered the house.

The wind played with a picture miraculously still hanging on the only raised surface not completely levelled, the wall beneath the stairs. Walking closer, Xavier saw that the picture was of a very small boy, with jet black hair and piercing green eyes. As was common with most photos, this one was moving, the little boy in it was laughing happily and waving his tiny fists proudly in the air, Xavier had to swallow a lump that had appeared in his throat and wiping his eyes he went to move on, only to stumble over something in a heap at the base of the stairs.

Xavier looked down to see what it was and had to fight down a wave of nausea that rose in his throat. It was the body of a young man, who, like the infant in the picture also had a shock of black hair, his eyes were wide open and staring in shock, and his mouth and jaw hung slack. Xavier turned away in a hurry and more or less sprinted out of the room and into what he suspected had once been a bedroom of some sort. There was a small bassinette in the corner he noticed, before his eyes discerned another heap lying about 5 paces from the baby bed. Unable to make himself go too close to this one, he only managed to notice the bright auburn hair, even though he had been expecting it, he was still unable to stop the urge to be sick, finally his stomach one and he threw up violently all over a stuffed hippogriff.

Finally under control again, he approached the bassinette, extremely anxious as to what he might find. Surprise and realise graces his features as he looked down upon the infant from the picture, lying very still with his eyes moving wildly in his face. As Xavier bent down to scoop him up, the baby seemed to notice him, his features crinkling in confusion.

"Mamma?" this said, the child started bawling.

"Shhhh, Mamma's not here right now so I'll be looking after you for a while," said Xavier while gingerly patting the baby on the back. It would have been fairly obvious to anyone present that he had absolutely no idea what to do and that he was in desperate need of some assistance, unfortunately no one else was present and the cries did not abate. So it was a hysterical baby, and a slightly hysterical man that apperated away in a golden light.

No one saw the red eyes gleaming from a shadow in the bushes, and no one heard the disembodied voice whisper into the night before it fled,

"It isn't over, Harry Potter...It's hardly even begun"

**A/N: **So that's my prologue, I hope you like it. It's pretty short, I know...but it's longer that what I usually write. Please review and tell me what you think, otherwise I may not continue…I have to FEEL the love, before I can reciprocate it! and I also have a disturbing idea that this may be dreadfully boring to read and someone needs to tell me quick smart so I can take it off at once!!


	2. Chapter one: The Stage is set

**Disclaimer:** I own my mind. That is all.

**A/N: **I have a feeling this chapter will be shorter then I hoped. I think it's more of a filler. I have big plans for this story and I'm pretty sure it will have quite a few chapters. I

apologise for the shoddy attempt at poetry later on. Thanks to the people who reviewed, it was jolly decent of you…haha. If you're not understanding things and I'm not making

them clear, please review and tell me and I'll try my hardest to fix my mistakes. Hopefully there'll be less typos in this one too! Last time was hopeless. Without further adieu, I give

you, A Simple Misconception, Chapter one.

**Chapter one**

Albus Dumbledore was worried. It had been 6 hours since the horrifying tragedy at the Potters and Harry had still not been found. The manor was nothing but deserted rubble and

almost all the order had been dispatched to look for the one year old. The only reason Dumbledore even thought the boy was alive was because he had Harry's Soul Monitor,

which was currently informing him that the infant was alive and kicking somewhere out of range. Dumbledore sighed; he wasn't sure what he'd do if he couldn't find Harry. That

irritating prophecy made certain that Dumbledore needed the boy around.

There was a knock at the door to his office, and Minerva McGonagall walked in, hands clutched behind her back and thin lips pursed. Albus looked at her inquiringly,

"Minerva, I assume you're here to give me a status report?"

"Albus, he's no where to be found. We've looked everywhere. What if…what if Black has him? What if he's in terrible danger!?" all this was said very quickly and after she said it,

Minerva looked like she was about to faint. Dumbledore quickly conjured a chair for her, which she sank into gratefully, summoning herself a scalding cup of tea which she sipped

at while Dumbledore spoke.

"Minerva, it's all right, Harry isn't in any danger at the present time, and I'm almost certain at this stage that he's not somewhere where we could find him. While I'm as concerned

as you are, I don't think we'll find Harry until he's ready to be found."

"Albus, he's a one year old. I really don't think he's up to playing hide-and-seek."

"Minerva, trust me when I say that there's nothing we can do until the boy turns 11."

"You mean when he gets his letter?"

"Precisely, the Hogwarts letter will find him, even if he's in a whole other relm."

"You think he's with a Faery race?"

"With that boy, Minerva, anything is possible."

After McGonagall had left, Dumbledore lay back and shut his eyes. Looking for Harry Potter was giving him a headache, it seemed that like he had said to Minerva, Dumbledore

would just have to wait and hope that Harry was alright. With another sigh, Dumbledore turned to the stack of papers on his desk. It was time to find another Defence Against the

Dark Arts teacher, Dumbledore frowned again, they never lasted very long.

* * *

While Dumbledore was pondering the loss of his potential pawn, other events were unfolding.

Xavier apparated into a large clearing, surrounded by tall oak trees that screamed knowledge and power. On closer inspection, it was revealed that next to every tree was a tall,

willowy creature with piercing eyes of various shades of green. They were distinguished from humans by two slightly pointed ears and an almost ethereal look in their solemn eyes

which stared unblinkingly at Xavier and his small charge. After what seemed like an age, a light wind swept the clearing and the mood seemed to change unexplainably to a much

lighter, almost joyous mood. The solemn eyes almost seemed to smile and one of the creatures walked forward, to stand in front of Xavier and Harry. He seemed somehow much

more majestic then the others and when he spoke, it was a rich sound which reverberated slightly around the clearing.

"Youngling, you have completed your task, the elders are satisfied." Xavier bowed low, as was the custom, and straightening up, he caught a glimpse of pride in the elder's eyes.

"Thankyou, Elder, it was an honour serving you and the prophecy." Xavier murmured the customary response as he waited for what he knew would come next.

"An honour it was, and an honour it will continue to be. Xavier, you shall oversee the boy in his new environment and make sure that he grows into and exceeds his abilities." This

said, the Elder inclined his head and swiftly walked away.

Xavier half smiled at his retreating back, he'd known this would happen. Elders hated getting involved with mortals, especially humans. After the prophecy, this human was especially

problematic. Oh the prophecy, Xavier grimaced as he remembered the ancient legend.

_  
There will come a dark time,_

_For Fae and all alike. _

There will be darkness and despair,

With little to no respite.

_  
But to the world, A gift shall come, _

In a fiery mortal blessed.

With Fae assistance, there will be triumph

_And help to lay the land to rest. _

_  
Human hands, spill human blood, _

Human hands feel death.

Human hands will be our saviour,

If human hands can pass the test.

Marked by lightning, Zeus above,

Dreams tell of his coming,

Hidden Saviour to the one he'll love.

Destruction written in the air,

Darkness suffocating in a starless night.

Xavier had been the obvious choice for the prophecy, his name fitting the prophecy almost scarily. Fae, unlike humans and their silly fortune tellings, thought it was a great honour to

be an instrument for a prophecy and so now Xavier was awarded a higher status amongst Fae as Harry Potter's Hidden Saviour. He now had to watch unbeknownst to the little

boy as Harry Potter grew up in a selective environment, meticulously prepared for him by the Fae. Speaking of selective environments, it was time Harry was taken to his. With a

small sigh, Xavier prepared to apparate once again.

When the golden light had cleared Xavier could see the outskirts of a small village. It was quaint in an other-worldly sense. Small, thatched houses surrounded a cobbled square, the

centre of which proudly displayed a large brass bell. Horses grazed in grassy fields around the high wooden walls of the town and crops could be seen in the distant fields, in which

hazy shapes could be glimpsed moving around.

Xavier smiled to himself as he surveyed the scene. It had been a stroke of genius on his part to send Harry to grow up in a primitive muggle village. Not only would it remove the

constraints of the present wizarding community from his mind, but it would act as the perfect site for the catalysts he was planning to use to urge the boy to his full potential. With the

right pushes and prods, he was sure the small baby sleeping peacefully in his arms could be truly formidable indeed.

He walked forward and into the village, pausing to observe the bustle around him. People were rushing around with arm loads of food, firewood or doing other things like feeding

animals or cleaning dwellings. So far no one had noticed him and he wondered how long it would be before they did. Certainly he looked nothing like them. For one thing, he was at

least a foot taller and he very much doubted that any of them had seen hair as black as his or eyes so blue. By far his most distinguishing feature would be his pointed ears that

would definitely alert them to his…difference if nothing else did. Lucky his ears were hidden by his hair, he wouldn't want anyone getting too suspicious.

He walked purposely through the village, to where Harry was to live. He had chosen this very carefully. He needed Harry to be independent, but at the same time reciprocal to

love. The family he had chosen, he was certain would provide these things. It also didn't hurt that everyone in the family was susceptible to his Fae compulsion, which meant that if

things weren't going to plan then he could give them a little, nudge in the right direction.

He turned a corner and the little thatched house that Harry would learn to call home came into view. As he neared the building, shouts were heard and 4 children ran out, chasing

each other. They all had black hair and bright blue eyes. Xavier smiled to himself, Raven children he thought in his head, they would be useful. Smiling to himself, he cast a slight

compulsion on everyone inside (2 more children and the mother and father) before gently knocking on the door.

It was opened by a middle aged woman with the same raven coloured hair and piercing blue eyes as the four children. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion at the sight of Xavier but

promptly widened in joy when they alighted on the baby nestled in his arms.

"Is that my little Harry? Why we all thought he'd died!" she exclaimed in surprise.

Xavier smiled, these humans were even easier to trick then he'd first suspected. He'd planted this idea in their heads over the past months until they were certain that the latest baby

had been stillborn.

"Mam, it's a miracle, the midwife was able to revive him and she asked me to bring him over as soon as he was righted."

The woman squealed in delight and grabbed the child, planting a kiss on his forehead. Harry, you miracle baby!

"Miss, please be gentle, he's had a rough time, let that there birthmark on his forehead remind you of that, he lived when he wasn't supposed to."

"Yes, yes I understand. Harry, my little miracle baby! Thankyou so much for bringing him to me."

With that, the woman went back into her house, shutting the door on Xavier. He smiled, silently congratulating himself on his brilliance before turning and walking back the way he

had come. Harry Potters training had officially begun.


	3. Chapter 2: Farsight

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Xavier, Judas and the setting thus far. Oh and Judas is of course a reference to the biblical figure that betrayed Christ. I thought it was a suitably evil name.

**Chapter 2**

Nine O'clock.

The school bell rang; it's clanging resonating throughout the village. Harry ran, bag flapping against his back through the gates, bounding up the steps with quick, agile leaps. He was late again but he was safe. Safe from Judas and his gang at least for the morning, Harry smiled grimly; unimpressed by his cowardice even though he knew that defending himself would probably end up killing him. 10 minutes late to class, Harry accepted the teachers scolding's and suppressed a smile when she gave him a detention. He was safe this afternoon as well.

Recess came around and Harry's throat constricted. Recess was always spent hiding from Jude's gang. More often then not, they found him though, and the torture would begin. Harry could barely remember when he'd first attracted Jude's attention, though he suspected that he had somehow embarrassed the bully. That was the impression he got when he'd once had the misfortune of looking him in the eye. Harry was sometimes able to see the intent behind people's motives when he looked them in the eye. He couldn't understand how or why he was able to do it, only that it had saved him on more then one occasion, including when he was very young. He shuddered again as he remembered the near brush with death.

_He'd been wandering alone down near the river, a common occurrence in the village as Harry was often seen on his own. He just didn't seem to mesh well with the other kids his age; he seemed almost too grown up for them, though they would always say there was something scary in his eyes bottle green eyes, almost another presence. Wandering on his own, he was able to consider other people's reactions to him and it seemed to his young mind that most of the reactions were unpleasant ones. Unable to fathom a reason for this, apart from him being in someway different from everyone else, Harry had continued to wander aimlessly, not noticing the shadow that lurked on the edges of his vision until it was too late. _

_There had been rumours of a wild dog that attacked and ate chickens and geese but there hadn't been any real confirmation of its existence (apart from the massacred bodies of the birds). Harry was more then able to confirm its existence now as the monster in question had backed him against a tree. Harry stared, riveted in terror at its foam flecked face and snarling jaws. He briefly considered calling for help, but then dismissed the idea. He'd learned quite quickly that adults were more a hindrance then a help and that it was better for him to fight his own battles. Unable to see any fix as to his situation, Harry squared his shoulders and decided that if he was going to die, he wasn't going to die peacefully. _

_He'd stared the animal straight in the eye and was immediately assaulted with a barrage of images. He saw a small puppy cowering as a vicious looking man beat it with a stick, he saw a slightly older puppy trying in vain to hide from the same man and the same stick. He saw the older dog jumping out at the man and biting savagely at him before running off. In that instance, Harry knew what he had to do, he felt with a cold certainty that there was only one thing he could do now to get him out of his situation. Feeling around him, his fingers closed around the smooth wood of a stick and attempting to mimic the savage snarl of the man he'd seen, Harry raised it high and swung it at the dog. The reaction was immediate; the dog had jumped away in terror and run off howling, while Harry had sped off in the opposite direction thankful to whatever God had sent him those startling images. _

Harry shuddered, the momentary release bringing him back to reality. He wasn't up against a 4 legged beast. He was outside, trying to hide from a 2 legged one. Trying being the operative word though, Harry suppressed a shudder as a shadow loomed over him. Jude stood over him, grinning maliciously as he eyed the smaller boy.

"Well, would you look at this, never would have expected to find you here midget."

Jude grinned wolfishly as Harry visibly flinched. Midget was Jude's nickname for him, most probably in an attempt to make him feel small and worthless. Harry was at a loath to say it, but it worked every time.

"So what's it going to be midget? How long will you stand to play the pain game with ole' Jude?" Jude's voice was sickly as he bent down slightly, down until Harry and he were eye to eye and Harry could see directly into Jude's resentful brown eyes.

His mind was immediately assaulted with a kaleidoscope of events, rushing by so quickly that Harry barely had time to register them; Jude shaking in a corner, while a man and a woman argued furiously, the man waving a bottle of gin in the air. The same man punching and beating the same woman while Jude hid in a cupboard, Jude slightly bigger, trying to protect the woman from the man, Jude starting school, a curious look on his face, Jude being cornered by bullies and fighting back, earning the bullies respect, Jude trying once again to protect the woman and getting punched, his mother whacking the man over the head from behind, both of them burying the man in a shallow grave outside, Jude tossing fitfully in a bed, Jude beating up younger children, Jude stalking Harry…

Harry stared at Jude, a thoughtful expression on his young face. Inside his mind was whirling and though he didn't look it, Harry was beyond shocked. Then his mouth opened of its own accord,

"You can stalk me and hurt me all you want Jude. But I know your secret. I know where he's buried."

A look of absolute horror came over Jude's face, and he took an unconscious step backwards.

"I don't know what you're talking about Midget." Jude's voice wavered, and his usual contemptuous tone was missing. Harry smirked.

"I think you do Jude."

Harry had no idea where his words were coming from. It was like there was a part of him that instinctively knew just what to say. Harry knew that if he was going to get Jude to leave him alone for good, he was going to have to completely destroy him. There wouldn't be a second chance. If he didn't make everything absolutely clear, then it was unlikely that Harry would survive Jude's next attack. Harry was in survival mode, and he wasn't going down without a fight.

"As a matter of fact, Jude, I KNOW that you know what I'm talking about. _Don't hit me daddy! Don't hurt her!_ It was too much after a while wasn't it. A big strong boy like you wasn't going to be pushed around anymore was he? If someone was to find out what you'd done…you and your mum would be in a lot of trouble…"

Harry felt cold inside. The words were rushing out of him, each one making him colder and colder. He was cold as ice, alone on an iceberg. And now…to deliver the crushing blow. He stepped forward, closing the gap between him and Jude until only a couple of inches separated them and he could feel the older boys ragged breath on his face. Harry was in absolute control now. And they both knew it.

"I don't know about you Jude. But if I was in your position and the boy I was "targeting" knew a dirty little secret about me…I'd be extra nice to him…otherwise he might accidentally "slip up" and spill that little secret."

Jude recoiled slightly again, blinking furiously. Then suddenly, he gave a little nod and, pivoting on his foot, bolted off in the other direction. Watching him go, Harry gave a strangled laugh, then his legs collapsed from underneath him and he gave into the shudders that wracked his body. He hated himself for what he'd just done. He hated that he'd seen something that was not his secret to see. But most of all, Harry hated that he'd been forced to become like Jude. He heaved another shuddering breath and fought to control his emotions. He couldn't break down like this. Not at school, here it was too open and crowded. Harry could not be seen as having any weaknesses. Jude's gang was bad enough. But now that problem had been dealt with. Harry wasn't going to go around now creating more for him.

Ever since Harry could remember, he'd been faced with difficulties and hardships that your average child would be unable to deal with. The first had come at age three, when his family had died. They'd all gone down to the river for a picnic and Harry the youngest was dozing happily in the sun, while everyone else played in the river. The wall of water had come so quickly that none of them had survived and Harry, wide awake as soon as it had come, had witnessed the whole thing. He had hated the feeling of helplessness as he watched the people he loved be swept away. Though only three at the time, Harry had made a silent vow to himself that he would never be helpless again. Six years later, Harry could remember that day as clearly as he could remember his own name, and his vow was stronger then ever.

This thought calmed him as he snapped back to reality and noticed two pairs of brown eyes trained on him. Looking up he saw the Patil twins standing over him, staring at him in evident concern.

"Are you ok Harry?" asked one, Padma, he thought her name was.

"Yeah, we saw Jude head around here and thought we'd follow," explained the other, Harry couldn't remember her name. The Patil twins were both in his class, but Harry had never had much to do with them. He usually kept to himself in class.

"Yeah I'm fine, Jude missed me, I hid behind the rubbish bins." Harry spoke quickly, saying the first thing that came into his head.

"Oh ok then, well Parvarti and I were wondering if you'd like to-", started Padma

"Come and hang out with us by the-", added Parvarti  
"Jungle Gym", they chorused together.

Harry was saved from refusing by the school bell ringing, signifying the end of recess. He merely smiled in thanks and moved off the join the throng of students moving towards the crowded doors. Sparing a glance behind him, he noticed the twins whispering conspiratorially behind him. Harry felt an uneasy prickling in his spine and had a feeling that it wasn't the last he would hear from the Indian twins. Oh well, he thought with a shrug, I'll be so obnoxious they won't want anything to do with me.

* * *

Xavier shook his head in frustration as the scrying pool cleared. The boy was taking things too hard. Going too deeply into his shell, the balance was so delicate. How was he, Xavier supposed to craft the most lethal weapon since Merlin when all he had was a stupid 2nd rate scrying pool and a bit of compulsion…? The boy needed friends; there was no doubt about it. Those half-blood witches would do the job, he mused. The boy would make it hard for them, of course, but a little Fae compulsion never went astray. Rubbing the slight pain developing between his slanted eyes, he sighed in frustration. Nothing was ever easy with that boy. He hadn't even reacted properly when his foster family died.

Xavier sighed again. This was so hard. He needed to carefully sculpt the boy. He had to be independent, but not too withdrawn. Compassionate, but not a sucker. He needed to be intelligent, but not a know-it-all. Most of all, he needed to have empathy and the ability to love, thought at the rate things were going now, this wasn't really happening. Still, with the greatest threat since the extinction of the land dragons looming, it was up to the Fae to train the one who would right the balance. The Fae, haha, good joke, thought Xavier. How about ONE Fae, as in singular, as in NOT plural, for the thousandth time, Xavier wondered how he'd ended up having to train the next Hero. Oh well, there was no way out of it now, if he stuffed it up then he'd spent the next thousand years in transit.

Gritting his teeth, he moved back over to the scrying pool again and focusing hard, willed the image of Harry to appear again. That stupid farsight of the boys was getting out of hand too, he thought. If he kept it up, Xavier was going to have to reveal himself early just to get some training into him.

"Why did everything have to be so hard?" he asked himself again, as the murky waters cleared and a familiar black haired, green eyed boy swam into view.

**A/N:** Sorry for the long wait between updates. I've been really busy with exams and stuff. A few of the reviewers mentioned that stuff they'd read was confusing, I'd love it if you could be more specific so I could try and explain myself better. Also it was mentioned that it would be hard for Xavier to convince the family that a one-year old was their dead stillborn. I'd just like to say that compulsion is a very powerful thing. It could make you think that you'd just married a Unicorn. It's Xavier's strongest skill and he can make you think the sky is lemon if he wants. Just thought I'd clear that up. Hopefully I'll update sooner next time…unlikely as I'm very busy with sport but I'll try. Thanks for reviewing, and I'd love more feedback.


	4. Chapter 3: Time to dance

**A/N:** Oh gosh, it's been ages since I updated. But thanks to everyone who reviewed. This story isn't dead yet. And hopefully this chapter is a little longer for you. 13 pages I think. But yes, enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Except for Xavier… and my own rather pathetic writing style! 

Class had ended for the day. Harry joined the throng of students pushing and shoving to get out the narrow doorway and into the fresh afternoon air. Once free of the confines of the dingy school, Harry turned left and headed towards his sanctuary, the river. Harry himself couldn't understand why he was so drawn to the water. It had proved a curse to him on more then one occasion. Harry shuddered as carefully concealed memories pressed at their confinements, threatening to overwhelm him. Perhaps it was the villagers combined fear of the river that continuously drove Harry towards it. He, unlike most of the occupants of Billy Row was able to swim.

The water was Harry's escape, when he was submerged, he felt light as air, weightless, suspended in a time and place of his own creation. When he was in the water, Harry could pretend he was someone else, someplace else, with a loving family and bunches of friends. Harry didn't have friends. After the accident by the river, Harry, as the lone survivor, was viewed as some sort of abnormality. Why should the river, which had so unmercilessly slaughtered a whole family, spare an ordinary, bespeckled boy. He was shunned and viewed as a freak, people going out of there way to avoid him. Even the orphanage which took him in seemed to always be holding him at arms length. Thus, forced to grow up alone, Harry had turned to himself for comfort and sustenance.

True, there were those like the Patil twins, which attempted to befriend him, but Harry had learned by now that it was dangerous to rely on others. After that fateful day at school, some weeks ago now, when he had managed to, through what he at the time attributed to be a freak happening, had managed to see into the soul of Judas the bully, he had become something of a recluse. Harry suspected that the Patil twins were in some way suspicious of him, and it made him wary, if not slightly afraid. It also made him sharp, and prone to mistrust. He himself was a much safer bet when it came to getting things done. And oh, the things he could do. For introspection had yielded interesting results for young Harry. Forced by the delights of society, to spend countless hours with only his brain for company, Harry had stumbled upon something amazing.

He could, with his mind perform certain 'tricks', as he liked to call them, that no one else could. He could make things move; call objects to him at will and of course, see into the souls of others. Fascinated by his abilities, Harry discarded the idea of friendship altogether, and spent all his spare time down at the river, honing his skills and trying to develop new ones.

Today was no exception, Harry's feet trod the familiar and now well worn track down the river, his eyes looking, but not seeing the great, grey trunks of trees which towered overhead, hiding him from view. His mind was miles away as he stole down to the river, the water glinting in the afternoon sun, a thousand jewels, on fire in the burning rays of light that transcended down from the heavens to this place, his sacred place. How he loved to be alone, with only his brain for company, and the wondrous steps he made it dance. Unbeknownst to Harry, he was not alone, today would be a day to remember, for all parties involved.

The day started like any other, for Padma and Parvarti Patil as they ate the breakfast their mother had so lovingly prepared for them. Parvarti, always the more outgoing of the two, ate with gusto and enjoyment, often gorging herself to the point where she could scarcely move for fear of being sick. Padma, on the other hand, ate delicately and fussily, spending more time arranging her food then eating it, and never eating too much. For all their differences however, the two were still firm friends, rarely quarrelling, and valuing the other's opinions above all else.

This was why, when Parvarti announced she was having strange compulsions towards following Harry that afternoon, Padma didn't disagree, just merely glanced at her sister in surprise.

"What makes you say this Vati?" She asked, curiosity written all over her delicate Indian features.

"I don't know Pads, I was just walking out the door, when I saw that boy heading down towards the river, you know, like he always does… and I suddenly thought that I wanted to know what he was doing…" Parvarti paused for a second in confusion.

"All I know is I'm not going to be happy until I've followed him."

"Well Vati, mummy's not going to like us being late, but let's go." Joining hands, the two girls crossed the street together, heading towards the gap in the trees where Harry was so often seen heading.

They were halfway there, when a familiar voice rang out,

"Parvarti! Padma! Is that you?" Turning around, the girls smiled at the sight before them. Neville Longbottom was waving furiously, podgy hand enclosed within the hard embrace of his grandmother's hand. Waving back, the girls were surprised when the old woman bent down and whispered something in Neville's ear before letting go of his hand and pushing him towards the two girls.

"Gran said it was about time I started making some friends." Neville explain with a slight blush, at their curious expressions.

Not from the village school, Neville lived in a huge manor out in the countryside. It was said that he was home schooled by his grandmother, and that they were a strange, rich family that didn't associate too much with the villagers. Parvarti and Padma had formed a friendship with the plump 10 year old after catching him accidentally conjuring small whirlwinds as he cried behind the butchers shop. Fascinated by the magical displays Neville was unknowingly causing, the girls had eventually bullied the truth out of him. It had turned out that Neville was a wizard, though a poor one at that. His displays of magic had apparently started so late in life, that his family had feared he was a squib.

Eyeing the boy thoughtfully, Parvarti decided to let him in on their mission to stalk Harry.

"There's this boy, Harry…" Parvarti began, before Padma hurriedly shushed her.

"It's nothing much Neville, we're just going to find our friend, we think he's by the river, care to join us?" Not at all piqued by the sudden change in tone or by the furious glances the two girls were exchanging, Neville agreed, before running back to inform his Gran of their whereabouts.

"Oh and Neville…" Padma said casually, once the boy had returned.

"Yes Padma."

"Can you swim?"

"Of course I can!"

"Oh, that's good."

The three walked in silence down the winding track, their hearts thumping heavily in their chests. The path was dark and twisting, and gave an atmosphere of dark privacy that made the three feel as if they were impostors, intruding on some great affair.

"Uh guys?" Neville asked after a couple of minutes in the oppressive atmosphere.

"Are you sure we should be heading down here? It doesn't feel as if anyone comes down here very often, what if something happens to us?"

"Neville, Harry is down here. We need to make sure he's ok. You don't _have_ to come." Parvarti answered immediately, the compulsion inside her growing to the point where she was practically jogging down the gnarly route.

"Vati, you're going so fast!" Padma cried, lengthening her strides in an attempt to keep up.

"Come on!" Was all Parvarti said, as they rounded the last bend.

The sight that met their astounded eyes was enough to bring a gasp of surprise to all their throats as they stared at the scene before them in undisguised awe and shock. The river stretched before them, its waters breath-takingly lit by the dying sun. Harry stood in the foreground of the scene, arms stretched beseechingly over the water, eyes tightly shut and a look of intense concentration on his suddenly elfish features. Under his hands, the water seemed to bubble and stir, before it burst upwards, bending and twisting into watery formations that danced and shone like slivers of ice as they crystallised onto leaves.

Harry opened his eyes and stared in undisguised pleasure at what he had created. Muttering under his breath, he flicked his fingers and laughed out loud, when the water changed from clear to a sparkling pink. Lowering his hands, Parvarti, Padma and Neville sighed in disappointment as the water was gently dropped back into the river, where it soon melted back into seething torrent being pulled southwards by the current.

Then, as if though some supernatural impulse, Harry's whole body went rigid and alert. He pivoted round and saw them, standing partially concealed within the bushes. All the colour drained from his face and he took a half-hearted step towards them before turning as if to run. Something seemed to stop him at the last second however, and he merely collapsed to the ground, eyes still warily trained on Parvarti, Padma and Neville. The twins stood stock still, slightly amazed at the sight they had just witnessed.

Neville, on the other hand, gave an excited yell before bounding out of the bushes towards Harry, who flinched backwards, unsure of what to expect.

"That was brilliant!" Neville cried excitedly, two spots of pink appearing on his cheeks.

"How did you manage to control your accidental magic like that? It's unheard of!" Harry blinked in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" He asked cautiously.

"Accidental magic, what you just did!" Neville was beside himself now and gesturing wildly with his hands.

"That _thing_ you did with the water, how you managed to tell it what to do! How on did you get it so controlled, it's unheard of!" Harry blinked again, though the confusion in his eyes was replaced with a glimmer of hope.

"You mean, what I can do, the tricks…other people can do them too?"

"Yes! But normally they use wands. Magic without a wand is really hard to do. How did you do it?" Neville bounced up and down in his eagerness to know. His excitement had roused the Patil twins from their romanticisms; they walked out of the bushes and joined the two boys.

"Oh Harry that was-"Padma began.

"-so pretty and cool and," Parvarti added.

"Please teach us how!" They finished together.

Harry and Neville both looked momentarily stunned by the synchronisation of their performance and it was Harry who finally spoke.

"I don't know if I could teach anyone. I didn't realise that it could actually be controlled…until this _man_, well I think he's a man, came and taught me how. He said that I had skills that could be controlled by my mind. He taught me to meditate. I'm still not very good though. Today was the first day that that trick has ever worked properly." Harry finished speaking and smiled with pride.

"Who's the man?" Neville asked curiously.

"Yeah, do you think he could teach us?" Parvarti added quickly.

"He won't tell me his name, but he said he'd been worried about me for some time because I didn't seem to be able to control what I did. He said that…" Here Harry trailed off, embarrassed to continue in front of the three.

"What did he say Harry, you can tell us." Padma probed gently, placing a comforting arm on Harry's shoulder.

"It's stupid though. How would that man have known anyway…?"

"Just tell us Harry, we aren't going to ditch you over it."

"Ok fine…" Harry took a deep breath, before gripping the hem of his shirt as if seeking reassurance from its course folds. Padma's hand on his arm was oddly comforting, and it made what he had to say a lot easier.

"He said part of the reason I was struggling so much was because I was keeping everything to myself, and it was all piling up and effecting my concentration. He said I needed to start trusting people and unburden myself and let other people help me with my issues."

At these words, Padma smiled up at Parvarti before speaking to Harry.

"This man seems pretty smart Harry. I don't think I'd be able to concentrate if I had to deal with a bunch of silly adult issues."

"Yeah," Chimed Parvarti.

"Now you've got us Harry. You can tell us whatever you want. I knew there was a reason to follow you today. Imagine if you lost concentration doing some big trick, you might hurt someone." Though their words were spoken in all niceness and sincerity, Harry still felt wary, while he was starting to like all three of the people before him, he didn't think that he was prepared to tell them everything about him yet.

"Thanks guys." He said finally, smiling up at the three of them.

"Friends it is."

"Friends." Parvarti, Padma and Neville echoed, as the four clasped hands.

Xavier smiled in satisfaction as he watched the scene, invisibly from about 10 yards away. Things had turned out a lot better then he thought. His original idea, when he'd first compelled the Patil girl to follow Harry, had been to just arouse their curiosity about him. He'd figured that the boy would have been far too wary to open up about himself. Preventing Harry from running away had been his final intervention, as he'd whispered to the boy that he would make sure nothing bad happened to him.

For of course, the mysterious man Harry spoke of had been none other then Xavier. After the incidences with the dog and the bully, Xavier realised that it was time to step in before the ministry realised that there were some epic bursts of uncontrolled magic coming from Billy Row. It had been a tough couple of weeks attempting to control the boy, but Xavier was confident now that all readings were completely 'controlled' magic, nothing to arouse the ministry or Dumbledore's suspicions.

Thinking of Dumbledore, Xavier shook his head in annoyance. The man was very persistent. It was getting more and more difficult for Xavier to thwart the man's spells. For a human, Albus Dumbledore was incredibly powerful, not to mention some freak genius. Xavier frowned, it would be alright, just so long as he didn't send that bloody Phoenix.

As if it had read his mind, there was a popping noise, and the 'bloody Phoenix' appeared before him.

"Shit." Muttered Xavier, before immediately casting a spell to make sure none of the children saw anything. Xavier couldn't be sure, but he thought that one of the twins was looking over curiously. No matter, it couldn't be helped, there were much more pressing concerns to attend to, namely the envelope clutched in the Phoenix's talons. Taking the letter from the disgruntled bird, Xavier turned it over and read the front of the letter: _To the carer of Harry. J. Potter_.

"Shit." Xavier muttered again, before checking the envelope for spells. Finding none, the Fae carefully opened the letter.

_To whom it may concern,_

_As it is you who my Phoenix has found, I can only assume that you are responsible for the 'disappearance' of Harry Potter on October 31__st__, 1981. If this is the case, then I would like to inquire as to the boy's well-being, as I have had no way of knowing how he has fared over the past 10 years._

_Also, as you may be aware, Harry's 11__th__ birthday is fast approaching. Due to the difficultly of finding your location, Harry's Hogwarts acceptance letter will be delivered on this day. If by some chance, the boy does not know of his rather remarkable past, I would ask that you leave me that particular honour, as I believe I can shed a truthful light on the dismal tale. _

_To you, yourself, whom by this point I have deduced to be of Faery origins, I give this warning. The affairs of human and Faery are most effectively dealt with when left to run separate courses. Intervention of your race in the matter concerning Harry Potter and Tom Riddle will not be highly thought upon by members of the Wizarding community. I warn you Faery; do not look lightly on the life of Harry Potter human as he may be._

_That said, I look forward to meeting Harry on the 1__st__ of September._

_Yours Sincerely, Albus Dumbledore_

_(Headmaster for Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry)_

Letter read, Xavier frowned in annoyance. Who did this Dumbledore fellow think he was? There were so many subtle meanings to the letter, that Xavier's head was completely full. So, a letter would be coming for Harry in a few months. Well, there would be plenty of things Xavier could do to prepare the boy for a world of Witches and Wizards. Friendship with those three was only the start. A frown of concentration on his forehead, Xavier apparated out of the clearing, there was a lot to do.

Back by the river, the four new friends were beginning to head back up the path to the town. Harry and Neville walked side by side while the twins chattered aimlessly. The reached the village and Harry turned to the three, a shy smile on his lips.

"Uh, thanks." He said awkwardly, but they all understood.

**A/N:** I hope everything makes sense/is at all interesting. If there is anything that is a little hazy, please let me know. I'd love some feedback as to how you're feeling about the story!! Reviews inspire me!


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